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Add a bLIP for backwards-compatible inbound fees #22
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``` | ||
bLIP: 19 | ||
Title: Inbound Routing Fees | ||
Status: Active | ||
Author: Matt Corallo <[email protected]> | ||
Created: 2023-01-08 | ||
License: CC0 | ||
``` | ||
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## Abstract | ||
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This bLIP describes a mechanism whereby a node can charge either a positive or a | ||
negative amount in fees for an HTLC based on the channel on which the HTLC came | ||
in to said node. It does not modify existing `channel_update` messages, avoiding | ||
issues where temporary negative fees cause nodes to spam the gossip network (see | ||
"Rate Cards" for a proposal which adds negative fees without this issue). | ||
Instead, it relies on informing peers that a fee will be charged, and having | ||
them increase their corresponding outbound fees. | ||
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## Copyright | ||
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This bLIP is licensed under the CC0 license. | ||
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## Specification | ||
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One new message is defined, `inbound_fees_update`: | ||
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1. type: 34242 (`inbound_fees_update`) | ||
2. data: | ||
* [`32*byte`:`channel_id`] | ||
* [`i32`:`inbound_forwarding_fee_proportional_millionths`] | ||
* [`i32`:`inbound_forwarding_fee_base_msat`] | ||
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Additionally, one new feature flag is defined: | ||
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| Bits | Name | Description | Context | Dependencies | | ||
|---------|----------------|--------------------------------------------------------|---------|--------------| | ||
| 282/283 | `inbound_fees` | Supports receiving and enforcing `inbound_fees_update` | IN | None | | ||
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### Requirements | ||
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A node receiving `inbound_fees_update`: | ||
* MUST ensure it's next `channel_update` message for the corresponding channel | ||
has its `fee_proportional_millionths` and `fee_base_msat` fields incremented | ||
by the `inbound_forwarding_fee_proportional_millionths` and | ||
`inbound_forwarding_fee_base_msat` fields, respectively. Fields which fall | ||
below zero MUST be set to zero. | ||
* SHOULD ensure that it's next `channel_update` goes out in a timely manner, | ||
subject to relevant rate-limits. | ||
* MUST increase the amount forwarded in an HTLC by the advertised inbound fees, | ||
* however SHOULD delay increasing the amount forwarded by an updated inbound | ||
fee until it has a chance to broadcast a new `channel_update` after | ||
rate-limits. | ||
There was a problem hiding this comment. Choose a reason for hiding this commentThe reason will be displayed to describe this comment to others. Learn more. How can the node know what the rate limits are? They may be applied anywhere on the network. Or just a grace period? Then if there are still senders who haven't received the update after the grace period, the node will start returning Does the delaying add complexity in the implementation because you need to keep track of history - potentially across restarts? The situation that I described in the comment would be useful to add here too so that implementers understand why this is important. In the BOLTS I find that there isn't always enough rationale recorded, and it gets forgotten. There was a problem hiding this comment. Choose a reason for hiding this commentThe reason will be displayed to describe this comment to others. Learn more.
That is up to individual nodes. Its deliberately phrased in terms of
Hmm? No, this is not the case, the downstream node now is the one that gets to send the failure message (as its the one that is spamming updates) the upstream node forwarded the HTLC with stale parameters so that it wasnt blamed.
No more than existing delays in channel_update, basically. I mostly reused the tracking logic from there.
Good point, added more details. There was a problem hiding this comment. Choose a reason for hiding this commentThe reason will be displayed to describe this comment to others. Learn more.
What I mean is that a node's existing rate-limiting logic may not match what other nodes on the network do. The node broadcasts its
Let's take the example A->B->C->D again. D set an inbound fee, C broadcasted a new Then at some point, C receives an htlc to forward with an insufficient fee. There are two reasons why this could be:
Now what is C going to do? Return fee_insufficient and potentially damage its reputation because D wanted to change its inbound fee? Or forward an insufficient amount to D and punish D while B is at fault really. If no node ever wants to return There was a problem hiding this comment. Choose a reason for hiding this commentThe reason will be displayed to describe this comment to others. Learn more.
This is no different from any other fee on the network today. Yes, there's active discussion in setting a more common rate-limit across the network, but in general senders have to be tolerant of this and recipients should expect it sometimes.
C can tell the difference, though! If B didn't forward enough to C, C will note that it didn't get enough fee compared to the forwarding instructions in the onion, and will then fail back with |
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A node sending `inbound_fees_update`: | ||
* SHOULD NOT send such a message more often than it anticipates | ||
`channel_update` messages may be accepted by the gossip network. | ||
* MUST verify that inbound fees corresponding with the provided settings are | ||
paid on all HTLCs, noting that the inbound fees are calculated against the | ||
inbound HTLC amount *before* the inbound fees are subtracted. This includes | ||
received payments as well as forwarded ones. | ||
* SHOULD delay enforcing updated inbound fees until it sees an updated | ||
`channel_udpate` from its peer and for some time thereafter, congruous with | ||
the delay applied when enforcing new fees after sending a `channel_update`. | ||
There was a problem hiding this comment. Choose a reason for hiding this commentThe reason will be displayed to describe this comment to others. Learn more. The observed delay is also influenced by the peer that is charging the inbound fee for this node (grace period). If those periods don't line up, this node is going to return There was a problem hiding this comment. Choose a reason for hiding this commentThe reason will be displayed to describe this comment to others. Learn more. Ah, luckily there's a super trivial solution - wait until you also see the channel_update. I mentioned that now. There was a problem hiding this comment. Choose a reason for hiding this commentThe reason will be displayed to describe this comment to others. Learn more. I don't think it is that trivial at all. You can wait until you see the channel_update, but that doesn't tell you for how long your peer will underpay you to account for propagation of that update to the sender. There was a problem hiding this comment. Choose a reason for hiding this commentThe reason will be displayed to describe this comment to others. Learn more. No, it is trivial - the forwarder should wait to enforce it until it has a chance to broadcast a new |
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## Rationale | ||
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Because a node cannot set the fee fields in its `channel_update` below zero, | ||
only a node's immediate peer may utilize negative inbound fees in excess of | ||
its outbound fees. This may be useful for private channels where a peer can | ||
provide a fee discount to its counterparty even though it is not available to | ||
the global network. | ||
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Because senders calculate fees based on the amount as they think it will be | ||
forwarded, inbound fees must be checked by adding required fees back up from | ||
the `amt_to_forward` value. i.e. in order to check the total fee on an HTLC, a | ||
node must calculate the total expected fee based on it's announced forwarding | ||
parameters, subtract that from the `amt_to_forward` to get the amount the | ||
sending node (likely) expected the processing node to receive. From there, the | ||
processing node can calculate the inbound fee it expected and check that it was | ||
included in the forwarded HTLC. | ||
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`channel_update` messages are generally rate-limited across the gossip network | ||
and, thus, are generally rate-limited on the sender side as well. Therefor, | ||
nodes already accept stale forwarding parameters for some time after a | ||
`channel_update` goes out. A similar procedure has to exist here - nodes must | ||
wait for a `channel_update` to propagate before they can enforce the new fee. | ||
However, if the node that receives an `inbound_fees_update` message immediately | ||
fails an HTLC due to incorrect parameters without ensuring its `channel_update` | ||
has propagated, it may be scored negatively by senders which are overly | ||
aggressive about node-level scoring. Thus, the recipient of the | ||
`inbound_fees_update` is allowed to forward HTLCs with stale parameters until | ||
it can get the `channel_update` out, ensuring the correct node is scored by | ||
senders. | ||
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Note that inbound fees are charged both on forwarded payments and inbound | ||
payments to prevent a forwarding node from probing to determine if the next hop | ||
is the final destination by checking if the recipient enforces inbound fees. | ||
This also ensures that nodes charging inbound fees for the purpose of | ||
encouraging HTLCs be routed over a given path applies to all HTLCs, not only a | ||
subset. | ||
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## Motivation | ||
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Many lightning node operators have expressed a desire for "inbound routing | ||
fees," i.e. fees which a sender must pay when forwarding *inbound* through a | ||
channel, rather than outbound. There is some debate as to whether such fees make | ||
sense in the general case - ultimately it's not the fee-charging node's | ||
liquidity which is being used here, so why can they charge a fee for it? | ||
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However, ignoring whether this feature makes sense for routing nodes, routing | ||
nodes may which to use this to provide fee discounts for peers with which they | ||
have a commercial relationship with. For example LSP's may wish to use this to | ||
provide explicit fee discounts to their paying clients. | ||
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Having a standard, interoperable way for such relationships to be implemented | ||
allows LSP's to provide such a service without vendor lockin. | ||
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## Universality | ||
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This bLIP describes a mechanism for inbound fees which is completely transparent | ||
to the broader lightning network. Only the two nodes involved in the channel are | ||
aware of the inbound fees. More importantly, due to the above concerns expressed | ||
over the general applicability of inbound routing fees, it is anticipated that | ||
not all lightning implementations will support this. Users wishing to charge | ||
inbound fees may seek out peers which support it, and LSP clients may wish to | ||
use this when working with an LSP to receive a fee discount. | ||
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## Backwards Compatibility | ||
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The new messages described in the bLIP are gated by a new feature bit, which | ||
nodes MAY set to odd to ensure backwards compatibility. | ||
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## Reference Implementations | ||
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* LDK: https://github.com/lightningdevkit/rust-lightning/pull/1942 |
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